3D printed exoskeleton lets little girl lift arms

FRANKFURT– 2nd August 2012 – (NASDAQ: SSYS) Stratasys released a video and case study today demonstrating how 3D printing helped 4-year old Emma Lavelle overcome the limitations of a congenital disorder, allowing her to use her arms for the first time.

Using a Dimension 3D printer, researchers at the Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children in Philadelphia were able to create what little Emma calls her “magic arms.” The device is a custom-designed robotic exoskeleton that enables her to conquer greatly limited joint mobility and underdeveloped muscles. Follow this link to the video, case study, and details on Emma’s story.

3D printing is touching lives worldwide, in part because of its ability to deliver personalised solutions that tackle tough human challenges.

Engineering a Difference

3D printing is helping to break down barriers in man’s quest to solve some of its greatest challenges in society, science and healthcare. On the Stratasys Facebook page throughout the month of August the company is sharing stories of how designers, engineers and educators are using 3D printing for healing, exploration and teaching.

Additional videos, pictures and stories on the Stratasys Facebook page will include the use of 3D printing to bring renewable energy to remote populations in developing countries, NASA’s development of a human-piloted rover to explore Mars, and 3D printing’s role in drawing a new generation to science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education, including underprivileged students traditionally underrepresented in STEM fields.

“Some of our world’s greatest ideas are being 3D-printed,” says Scott Crump, chairman and CEO of Stratasys. “Engineers want their technical work to connect to a greater good, and 3D printing is helping them bring their ideas to fruition to improve lives and the world around us. As more people become aware of the possibilities of 3D printing, its impact outside of traditional manufacturing and design realms will continue to grow.”

3D-printing market consultancy Wohlers Associates affirms this idea in its Wohlers Report 2012, noting “As applications grow, the users of the technology grow as well. … It seems that almost any problem involving three-dimensional objects can be solved faster and better with the use of additive manufacturing technology.”

For more stories of how 3D printing is helping solve our world’s biggest challenges, and to contribute your own stories of how 3D printing is changing your world, visit the Stratasys Facebook page.

Stratasys Inc., Minneapolis, is a maker of additive manufacturing machines for prototyping and producing plastic parts. The company markets under the brands Mojo, uPrint and Dimension 3D Printers and Fortus Production 3D Printers. The company also operates RedEye On Demand, a digital-manufacturing service for prototypes and production parts. Stratasys manufactures 3D printers for Hewlett Packard, which it sells under the brand Designjet3D. In 2011 Stratasys acquired 3D printer maker Solidscape Inc. According to Wohlers Report 2012, Stratasys had a 41.5 percent market share in 2011, and has been the unit market leader for the tenth consecutive year. Stratasys patented and owns the Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM®) process. The process creates functional prototypes and manufactured goods directly from any 3D CAD programme, using high-performance industrial thermoplastics. The company holds 380 granted or pending additive manufacturing patents globally. Stratasys products are used in the aerospace, defense, automotive, medical, business and industrial equipment, education, architecture, and consumer-product industries.